A number of high-profile artists including Ai Weiwei, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Jeremy Deller and the photographer Rankin have donated works to a charity auction in aid of the award-winning aid organisation Help Refugees.
The NGO, which was founded just two years ago, supports people affected by the refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East including Syria, working with over 80 different projects which have helped over 600,000 people escaping war, violence and persecution.
The launch of the charity auction also coincides with the UK release of Weiwei’s new film Human Flow, a feature documentary that explores the global refugee crisis. The work features the stories of people from 23 different countries, from ‘overwhelmed refugee camps to barbed wired borders’.
The full list of artists who have donated work to the auction is: Ai Weiwei, Aitor Throup, Angela Palmer, Cecily Brown, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Claudia Comte, Dan Baldwin, Elaine Constantine, Harland Miller, Haroon Mirza, Hayden Kays, Jason Shulman, Jeremy Deller, Jo Metson Scott, Julian Opie, Juno Calypso, Kate Giles, Marc Quinn, Massimo Vitali, Nina Fowler, Patrick Hughes, Rankin, Robert Montgomery, Rob Ryan, Sophie Kipner, Venetia Barry, and Tim Walker.
Ai Weiwei commented: “As an artist, I always believe in humanity and I see this crisis as my crisis. I see those people coming down to the boats as my family. They could be my children, could be my parents, could be my brothers. As a human being, I believe any crisis or hardship that happens to another human being should be as if it is happening to us. I want to thank all the artists for their generosity and hope the funds raised can help many refugees this winter.”
Josie Naughton, co-founder and CEO of Help Refugees, said that two years after the launch of the organisation, the grassroots effort is still at the forefront of the response to the refugee crisis. “Public and media attention has waned, but we are still watching children arrive by the thousands on European shores cold and sick, and now the harshest winter months are upon us when once again families will be sleeping in flimsy tents.”
Explaining how the auction will help, Naughton said: “The funds raised from this auction will help provide vital necessities for desperately vulnerable refugees – from winterised shelters to warm food and clothing, emergency medical care and much more. We implore collectors to choose love this winter by bidding generously.”
The Help Refugees auction runs from 5pm GMT, 7 December until 21 December. For more information visit: www.paddle8.com
Images:
1. Ai Weiwei, Hanging Man in Porcelain, 2009. Copyright: the artist
2. Jake and Dinos Chapman, Weirdness works IV, 2016. Copyright: the artist
3. Julian Opie, Mechanic, 2014. Copyright: the artist
4. Harland Miller, Love Saves the Day, 2017. Copyright: the artist
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